Album Notes

Matrix Studio has sometimes felt like a second home for us. We have recorded our last four albums there – five including this one – and engineer/owner Phill Adams has become a virtual member of the band (sometimes an actual member on the odd occasion he has played drums with us). Phill’s keen ears, dependable musical sense and mastery of the desk have been of incalculable value to Hot Club Sandwich and we seldom have the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution he has made to our projects.

It is fitting then that this, our sixth album, be entirely conceived, recorded and produced in-house at Phill’s Matrix Digital Studios.

While working late one night on our 2006 album ‘Ridin’ With Bob’ we conceived the notion of inviting a small group of Sandwich faithful to attend a live recording session in the studio. We set up sufficient café-style seating for about 15; begged, borrowed or stole some tables, chairs, tablecloths and candles; enlisted the aid of some kitchen fairies who prepared and served a sumptuous three-course meal over the course of the evening; and recorded the outcome on two occasions.

The result is a fairly accurate representation of the diversity to be experienced at a typical HCS gig: we have not one but four lead vocalists on here, an instrumental, some blues, some jazz, some standards and some originals.

We hope you enjoy the music on this CD as much as we enjoyed playing with these fine musicians on those two special nights looking out over Wellington Harbour from Café Matrix.